


Through the Eyes of LOVE

by BlackBirdAolen



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Death, Genocide, Genocide Route, Hardest Fight, Hotland, Ingame Dialogue, Major Spoilers, Monster Kid - Freeform, Monsters, No Mercy, Other, Robot, Vents, Water, Waterfall, challenge, fight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-29
Updated: 2017-07-07
Packaged: 2018-06-05 06:20:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6692965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackBirdAolen/pseuds/BlackBirdAolen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chara is back in the Underground. And the Underground will go empty...</p><p>(Major spoiler galore for the genocide route, so steer clear if you haven't played it yet. Any actual dialogue is taken verbatim from the game.)</p><p> </p><p>  <a href="http://ask.fm/BlackBirdAolen">Got a fanfic idea for me?</a><br/><a href="http://cheroshseiphar.deviantart.com/">My deviantART - full of original fiction.</a><br/><a href="http://blackbirdaolen.tumblr.com/">Snippets and ramblings on my tumblr.</a></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Toriel

**Author's Note:**

> This is a highly experimental fic for me. I never did anything comparable, so I'm a bit nervous about the feedback for this. But since I've gotten stuck neck-deep in the Undertale fandom, I have vowed to write my heart out with Undertale fanfiction in the next couple of weeks, months, and even years if it has to be.
> 
> There might also be AUs of Undertale coming up I'll explore. But for now, hopefully enjoy my dabbling with a PoV fic of the game.
> 
> Also, I'd like to point out that there will be headcanons involved in the writing of this. Not everything will be 100% backed up by the game itself. But that is the wonderful thing about fanfiction: dabbling with headcanons is a thing then.
> 
> As of the moment, there are following headcanons (though I'm not sure if it could be deducted from the game or actually was intended like that):  
> \- Chara is aware the moment they come to the underground.  
> \- Their original intention wasn't killing everything, but they fell into it easily once they mistook the monster's actions for aggression.  
> \- Chara remembers their first fall.  
> \- Later on, they're already too far into it. They can't go back, and frankly, they don't see any reason to stop killing any longer.

It’s all so familiar. The sight above, the crinkling leaves beneath. The only new sight are the flowers. I’m pretty sure there were no flowers before. No golden flowers… that look a lot like buttercups. I’m tempted to rip them out, crush them, but, no. I’m not here for them. I’m here for something different.

Asriel promised to be there for me. So, where is he? Why is he not here like the first time? The only being in the world who understood me from the beginning, and he is not here. What a nuisance. I will have to go look for him then. In between all the fuzzier memories, his face is the clearest. His voice, his gentle nature, everything is there, present and clear. I hope he hasn’t grown weak in the meantime.

There also was that other promise that Asriel made. That he would teach the monsters that humans aren’t all that bad. But, as of the moment, there is no monster in sight, so there is no way for me to confirm that he was successful. Besides, I have no idea how long it has been. Not too long, I’m sure. Reincarnation favored me, even if the body it gave me is still weak. I hope this will be remedied in the future.

The only path I can make out in the dark is towards a door. I rise from the nest of buttercups I tumbled into. Odd, that they would be enough to break my fall. And most of them don’t even look crushed. There’s a petal missing here, and a leaf slightly broken there, but overall, the nest of buttercups looks mostly undisturbed. Maybe, that also is to blame on this body. It’s so fragile and light, it could be damaged by pretty much anything.

Through the door, then. I don’t really believe I will encounter anyone too soon. The Ruins always were a rather abandoned place, but Asriel told me that usually, a few monsters would roam about. Up to this point, the only thing I can see is a single golden flower. It’s bigger than the other buttercups I have seen, and something about it is unsettling. Familiar, yet absolutely foreign. And, maybe even odder, a face shows on it.

“Howdy! I’m Flowey. Flowey the Flower.”

A talking flower, huh? What a strange thing. I’m pretty sure that this is something new in the Underground. Is there even a monster that can look like a flower? And it seems to be oddly cheerful. A little too cheerful. Something about it is off. And even as it offers me to show me how things work around here, I’m on my guard. Now I know that something is wrong. This flower is trying something, and I won’t have it.

As I suspect, Flowey then goes on about “LV” and “friendliness pellets”. Does this flower really think that sounds anything but off? I curse the circumstance that I’m unable to talk. Of course, there is sign language, and emoting. But I’m not really confident that any of the monsters will actually understand me. A particularly fast learner, maybe, but that would be quite the surprise.

The pellets float by, but they still have an edge about them. Flowey seems a bit irritated that I evade them, and scolds me for it. 

“Hey buddy, you missed them. Let’s try again, okay?”

This is definitely a scheme of that flower. Nice try, really. The next time I evade them, it grows visibly irritated. It even slips up on the bit about the pellets. Another dodge. And the face grows into something more skull-like. I knew it. This flower is dodgy, and it wants me dead. So much for teaching monsters to like humans and not hate them.

“You know what’s going on here, don’t you? You just wanted to see me suffer.” A ring of bullets, directly aiming at my soul. This is something I can’t evade. “DIE.”

But just as the ring closes around me, and the flower laughs maniacally like that, they are dispersed, and a fireball hits the flower over. Flowey disappears, and in its stead…

_ Mom. _

I can’t hold back the thought. She prattles something about me being a poor lost soul and Flowey tormenting me, but I can’t really care about that. She is right there. Mom. But she doesn’t recognize me, even if I’m right there. I’m right here, in front of you, Mom. Why don’t you recognize me? Why do you think that I’m just some random human having come down here? Why?

She leads the way into the ruins. I don’t really know much about the inside of the ruins from the first time I was here, since, back then, Asriel guided me. I was wounded and not really focused on the way back then, so I don’t really expect much behind the second gate. But I soon have to realize the ruins are expansive, and that it will take a while to cross them. This is a nuisance… I have to get to the palace and through the barrier. I have no time for this!

Mom leads me past some puzzles. I don’t remember them either. Maybe, they weren’t active back when Asriel lead me here. It just seems so odd to see them. Besides, I don’t really remember how far it is to the palace. Just the ruins seem a bit short. But back then, it seemed like such a long walk. Yet, it had been shortened by some strange power. Just, that exact part of my memory is fuzzy. The body I inhabit now doesn’t permit all of my memories to stay. It would be too exhausting, as I found out. At least, the power to SAVE has not left me. And my determination has not left me. It will never leave me. It will always be there.

At one point, Mom takes my hand and leads me through a pattern of spikes, which pop up and retract as we walk a certain path. Without her, I probably would have to find out myself where it is safe to walk and where I will be thrown back to my SAVE file. But still, she never looks at me long enough to recognize me. Why, Mom? Why do you just rush ahead? You all focused on getting further into the ruins. What do you hope to accomplish with that?

On a long corridor, Mom suddenly rushes ahead. There already was a monster, a Froggit, and it attacked. It seemed rather determined to get me. Mom didn’t look my way when the Froggit came along, so I found out how surprisingly effective a stick could be. As I watch her rush off, my hands still shake. She didn’t notice the dust on my hands. She simply didn’t look at my hands. Mom only ever looks at my face, for some reason. Why does Mom act this way?

The corridor seems endless, and behind a pillar, I can clearly spot Mom. What is she doing? She steps out, smiles at me, and explains that this was an exercise to test my independence. I don’t understand all of it. And she then hands me an old cell phone, explaining something about business or something, and that the ruins are too dangerous to explore alone. So, she leaves me. And slowly, anger begins to boil in me.

This is not how this was supposed to be. Asriel still is nowhere to be found, Mom acts completely strange, and Dad, Dad isn’t there either. I know that Dad is the King, but that doesn’t mean he can’t come look for me. They should know that I’m back. There surely is something that would give it away. They always told me they could sense something about my soul. But it seems they lied to me back then.

I can’t think straight, until I find a save point in a pile of leaves. The soft crinkling noises bring me back to reality, and I blink a couple of times. Not because I’m sad or about to cry. No. I’m calm now. I look down at the stick, which is covered in this white, powdery stuff. The Froggit a little ways off the path gives me a strange look from the distance, but I ignore him for the moment. I’m too confused, and I need a while before I can settle down. So far, nothing Asriel promised me seems to have come true. No one seems to remember me. And none of the monsters seem to be very friendly. I thought that Mom was joking when she said that monsters would engage me in fights. But, no. They really do.

Mom briefly calls me, just to tell me to be good and to not leave that long corridor. I don’t reply. I can’t. To distract myself, I go North to a small room. There, a candy bowl stands on a pillar. I take candy until the bowl topples over and spills all over the ground. I take the monster candy with me, but ignore the candy on the ground. Why should I take something already dirty?

The Froggit is still there when I return, and finally he engages me in a fight. Again, the stick shows that it is useful, and again, white dust spreads when the Froggit dies. More sticks to my hand, and to my striped pullover. My hands don’t shake as much this time as they did before.

A Whimsun. A Moldsmal. Another Froggit. More monsters. They all die so easily. It’s scary, but only for a while. I’m doing this to survive, to grow stronger. I can feel how the LOVE rises in my soul. It calms me, but still, my hands won’t stop shaking. I don’t know why that is. I don’t know why they shake all this time. 

Further into the ruins, I find a place with a completely cracked floor. Moving across it becomes difficult, and I have to watch my step constantly. I fall. Not only one time, but several. At least, I land on leaves, but it still is frustrating. It takes me about five tries before I finally get past the cracked floor. My body is aching from the falling, and I have to take a while to catch my breath. The next room is a simple switch puzzle, though one of the stones talks with me. I ignore it, even if it gets on my nerves. As I finally pass the spikes, more monsters have fallen. The stone’s blathering gave them, and me, an opportunity here.

Another save point. I briefly look over the table, but the cheese doesn’t interest me. I have to get going. But in the next room, a ghost lies across the leaves. How annoying. And he just keeps on apologizing and… does he try to make me feel bad for him? It doesn’t work. He buggers off after a while, having wasted both of our time. Nuisance. Useless.

The room ahead is just filled with spiderwebs, and the one branching off left looks more promising. More monsters, more dust. It comes easier now. Not absolutely easy, but at least, I have the feeling that I’m gaining the upper hand more and more. Another room with some cracked floor tiles. I need a while to figure out that there is a switch I need to press so that I can move on. It’s tedious, and wears my patience thin. At least, I also find a faded ribbon. I feel it to be more useful than the bandage, so I throw that goopy thing away and instead tie the bandage into my hair.

Another strange puzzle follows. The room loops, in a way that should be impossible. I still figure it out. Three switches. Three different colors, one after the other. By this point, no monsters come any longer. I hear nothing except for the wind. Before, there always were faint sounds, something giving away there were monsters nearby. Now, silence fills the ruins. It makes me feel better.

Finally, a part which is familiar. A tall tree, without leaves, and the big house behind that. Another save point in the leaves, and it tells me what I needed to know. The monsters are afraid of me. My determination is high, and I feel that I make good progress. Still, I’m angry at Mom. I want to know what is going on. And she better not flake out again.

The house is so familiar. She leads me to the room. To my room. The second bed is missing. For a moment, I’m confused. Is that the house I knew back then? No. Something is off. It’s too early. Mom ruffles my hair, then scurries off when she smells her pie already burning in the oven. I enter the room, take it in. I’m tired. Tired of the day. I lay down.

In the night, Mom brings me butterscotch pie, with cinnamon.

The next day, I look around. The house is not complete. Many things are off. This is not the house Mom, Dad, Asriel and I lived in. I look around, then go into the kitchen. I need something better than the toy knife I found and swapped for the stick. But no knives are in my reach.

I go to see Mom. She sits there, in a chair, with a book. It’s something about snails, I don’t care. I want to get out of the ruins. With impatient signs, I make it clear that I want to leave. Something about Mom’s expression changes. She tries to evade my questions, until I finally feel that I’m about to burst with anger. Why won’t she understand that I have to go? Asriel is waiting for me.

“I have to do something. Stay here.”

_ No. I will not stay. _

She goes to the basement, I follow here. I’m done with this. She tries to hold me back. Why? I have a promise I have to fulfill. Asriel is somewhere down here, and I need to reach him. And she simply won’t understand.

The corridor in the basement is long. Mom is at the end, in front of a gate. She looks at me, briefly, with strange determination filling her expression. She talks about destroying the gate to the outside. About blocking the only way of leaving the ruins. This is… Why is she so set on stopping me? I know that she said something about other children leaving before, but I don’t care about that. I need to go out. I have to find Asriel. Why won’t she understand?

I lash out at her in anger. The toy knife cuts through her robes and deep into her body much like a real knife. Mom shouldn’t have blocked my way. She stares at me, shocked. 

“Y… You… really hate me that much? Now I see who I was protecting by keeping you here. Not you… but them!”

She laughs, briefly. Then sinks on her knees. Her body wavers, then dissolves into dust. Her soul appears, shattering in an instant. I get covered in her dust, coughing briefly.

But the gate is now open.

Goodbye,  _ monster _ .


	2. Papyrus

Another sheer endless corridor I have to walk. It comes easy now. The toy knife is clutched in my hand, covered in dust like I am. If this goes on like that, I will become completely covered in white. The open void of the gate ahead is welcoming me. But behind it, a nasty surprise awaits.

“You’re not really human, are you?” 

Flowey. He has come back. By now, his voice is somewhat more bearable. Maybe, he saw me kill those monsters. That explains why he seems strangely giddy. He was all too happy to try and kill me, so it makes sense. His eyes are devoid of emotion, but his mouth - if a flower can have a mouth - twists into a sickly sweet smile. He knows. But I don’t care. I have no time for his babbling. However, I can entertain him for a while. He seems to be of the same ilk as me, after all.

“No. You’re empty inside. Just like me. In fact… You’re Chara, right?”

_ He knows too much. _

How is that possible? Even other humans never are able to tell that I’m empty. They think of me as a strange child. Monsters, they can tell. Flowey’s guess is too spot on to be a mere guess. He has a pretty solid idea about me, and now I need to find out how that is possible. How can he know about me that well?

“We’re still inseperable, after all these years.”

It dawns on me now. No. It can’t be. How did this happen? Only one monster in the entire underground ever had an idea about who I really was. Even his mother and father never found out. This can mean only one thing. Flowey is Asriel. How it happened is of no concern. They are one. And just a few hours ago, he tried to kill me. His only friend.

_ How dare he treat me like that?! _

“Listen. I have a plan to become all powerful. Even more powerful than you and your stolen soul. Let’s destroy everything in this wretched world. Everyone, everything in these worthless memories… Let’s turn ‘em all to dust.  _ It’s a wonderful idea _ .”

And just like that, he is gone. I stand there, seething. I don’t care about his plan. I can’t care about it. I have come this far already, I killed Mom, and for what? To find out that Asriel already betrayed me? He blathers about becoming all-powerful, about razing this world from existence, but I can’t care about that. Asriel has betrayed me. That is the only thought that pulses in my mind, along with this white-hot anger. The anger that allows me to just kill, and kill, and kill again.

I will find him again, no doubt. He moves in the ground, from what I could see. And he is too interested in me. He will come back again, and when he does, I will teach him a lesson. He has angered the wrong one.

The ruins are behind me now, and instead, I find myself standing ankle-deep in fresh snow. The woods around me are quiet, and off to the side, there is only a single, oddly-placed bush. Closer inspection tells me there is a camera hidden in it. In a fit of anger, I lash out again, and the camera is smashed in the process. Whoever thinks spying on me is a good idea hopefully will get a good scare out of that.

But, back to business at hand. I will have to find a certain flower, and I will have to make sure that he will pay for what he did. Asriel might have been my friend at one point. But a friend doesn’t try to kill you. So, I will repay the favor in due time.

The path in the woods stretches endlessly, and only the wind howls. At some point on the path, there is a branch. It looks sturdy enough, but I can’t lift it. Curse this weak body. Only my soul is somewhat strong enough. Whatever Flowey meant when he said something about a stolen soul is of no concern to me. My determination will carry me as always. It is what gives me the strength to just go on. Even with the knowledge that I just killed the monster that, for a long time, was like my mother.

_ ‘Was’ being the important part here. _

Finally, something changes in the path. There is a hole in the ground, a bridge across the gaping hole, and… bars. Bars so comically wide that a human three times my size would not have any trouble fitting through. Whoever built them was probably not very bright. But just as I want to cross the bridge, I hear something break the eternal soft howling of the wind. Steps, crunching in the snow.

I just stand there, toy knife clutched in my hand. I will not show any fear. Instead, I wait, until the steps halt just behind me. There is no breathing. No other sound that would indicate a living being.

“Human.”

I slowly turn around. The monster in front of me is strangely blurry, enveloped in shadows. Someone with extraordinary powers, it seems. But it doesn’t frighten me. This time, my hands shake because of the cold. The monster extends its hand, and I reach forward to grab it… and inwardly groan when I hear the sound of a whoopee cushion. At least, my sight clears up. It’s a skeleton, about my size, and dressed rather sloppily. I don’t know that monster. He cackles about how his trick worked, and seems rather oblivious all in all. But I’m not entirely sure about it.

“that’s, uh, your cue to laugh. or, uh, to emote at all...?”

_ I think he noticed now. _

He goes on about how it is okay, and that everyone has their own sense of humor. I think he is a bit disappointed that I didn’t laugh. But there is nothing to laugh for me right now. The anger still prevails. The need to take revenge.

“i’m sans, sans the skeleton.”

At least I know now what he is called. Not that it matters much. He then says something about how he is supposed to be on the watch for humans, which makes the anger in me flare up again, more sharply, more brightly. So the monsters think of humans as enemies. That is how the underground has developed. What a bitter surprise.

“now my brother papyrus, he is a human hunting FANATIC.”

What? I hadn’t quite listened. But I suppose that it is not important. Sans stands far too relaxed for a monster intending to attack. I listen to him for a while. It can’t hurt to take things slow for a while. The rush I had from the ruins already ebbs away again, which is a pity. I would have liked to enjoy it some more. But I suppose that it is inevitable.

I follow his suggestion to go through the gate. So his brother constructed it? He must really be a dunce, then. A dunce and a human hunter, that can only make for a laughable character. I don’t think that I will need to make use of my SAVE file all that often, with Sans and Papyrus here. Sans, maybe. He has a strange air about him. Papyrus, however, who becomes visible from behind some lower trees, doesn’t look scary at all.

“quick, behind that conveniently-shaped lamp.”

I simply keep standing there.

“uh, ok, i guess you don’t have to.”

Papyrus stops a few paces in front of us, and then, in a loud, even bombastic, and very annoying voice, asks Sans if he found a human yet. Sans remains relaxed, says that he found one. Papyrus seems excited, then storms off, presumably to do something.

_ How odd. He didn’t recognize me as a human being. _

Sans shrugs it off, and remains standing there. I look around for a moment. A strange, and truly conveniently-shaped lamp, and a guard post. There are bottles of ketchup, mustard, and other condiments sitting behind it. It doesn’t look like it is used by someone on the watch. I suppose it matches Sans. It seems prudent to assume it is his checkpoint.

Just as I want to leave, the skeleton speaks up again.

“well, i’ll be straight-forward with you. my brother’d really like to see a human… so, y’know, it would really help me out… if you kept pretending to be one.”

_ HE KNOWS. _

My head snaps around, but he is gone. I knew it. He is not a normal monster. He pretends to be a normal monster, just like I pretend to be a human being. How amusing. A faint, very faint smile rises inside of me, but it barely manages to touch my face. I’m sure I will meet this Sans monster again. And then, it will be quite the confrontation to find out who is stronger.

I find another save point to make use of. The monsters of this area are not waiting long to show up. First one that calls itself a Snowdrake, then others. I stop caring about their names, even their appearance. The woods grow quieter with every time the dust spreads. From the two paths to choose, I only briefly glimpse at the one to the north. A dead end, with a fishing line. I’m not interested enough to find out what is there. Instead, I go on. And I find Sans and Papyrus again.

What follows leaves me indifferent. Again, Papyrus fails to recognize me as a human. Sans does tell him, eventually, that I am a human - after Papyrus stares intently at a rock - and Papyrus just flips. He is excited. He shouldn’t be.

_ He doesn’t know what will come. _

“AHEM!! HUMAN!! PREPARE YOURSELF!! FOR HIGH JINKS!! FOR LOW JINKS!! DANGERS! PUZZLES! CAPERS! JAPERS! BEING CAPTURED!! AND OTHER SORTS OF FUN ACTIVITIES.”

I don’t care for what he has to say. And then, he runs off, with an obnoxiously loud laugh. Sans remains standing there, with a perpetual smile on his face. But it looks more like a mask by now. He seems concerned, just for the fraction of a moment. But I latch onto it. So, he is scared for his brother already? Very good. This will make things easier.

“...and you don’t even bat an eye, huh?”

I watch as Sans leaves. This time, he moves. As if he wants to pretend that he is just like any other monster. But not with me. He can no longer hide that he is different from the others. Not from me.

Monsters fall, again. Dust spreads. I pass a guard station with a nervous dog. He goes down just as fast. He is meaningless, just like the other monsters. I need to get going. The cold is annoying. Annoying as that talking snowman, who begs me to stop taking his snow. I don’t stop. Why should I? He is meaningless like those monsters. I have only two big goals in mind. Flowey, and that Sans character.

Then, the first puzzle. Papyrus and Sans are bickering again, something about puzzles not being properly set up. The first is supposed to be an invisible labyrinth. I just walk forward, and Papyrus is clearly flabbergasted. He then rationalized it with something as stupid as “culture shock”, before he dashes off. Sans watches me with discomfort, again only for a moment, before that smiling mask returns. I take a bit of pleasure in that.

An ice field. I don’t stop to play around in it. And the next puzzle. Or, just a sheet of paper lying there, uselessly. Apparently, this is supposed to be a puzzle from Sans. Again, Papyrus scolds him for it, and Sans shrugs it off. I don’t care. I just walk forward, and again, Papyrus dashes off. Is he afraid? Maybe.

_ He better be. _

I walk past a frozen plate of spaghetti. I don’t even care why it is out here. And then, I find a pair of dog monsters. They go down, one after the other. They really thought they could take down a human with that stupid behavior? 

The next puzzle, oddly enough, is solved already. I spot some vines in the thick snow, and for a moment, my stomach knots. Not in fear, but in anger. Flowey again. I’m sure of it. His roots must reach everywhere in the underground, and that is the reason why he can move about so easily. How interesting. I wouldn’t mind having that power for myself. But I’m quite content with being able to use my SAVE file.

The puzzle after that is again guarded by the skeleton brothers. I don’t care for Papyrus’s bickering, I just step forward, and again, he dashes off, rather confounded that I don’t adhere to the rules, it seems. I don’t care. The dust from my hands falls down, becomes invisible against the snow.

They both seem to be oblivious and yet more receptive than I thought.

Again, a puzzle, this time not solved. I take a few tumbles down the hillside before I finally get through. How annoying. The path branching to the right looks interesting enough. It yields a strange monster to kill, and… Sans. And I’m quite sure this time that he has powers. He appears in two different spots one after the other, without visibly moving.

Another dog hidden in snow. A great big goof. With no place in this world. He falls easily enough, far too clumsy in that ridiculous armor of his. It falls into the snow, filled with just a little dust. And again, there are the two skeleton brothers waiting for me.

A gauntlet of terrors, as Papyrus describes it. But I can’t care about it. And, as I imagined he would, he retreats again without activating the gauntlet. Because, as he puts it, he has standards. He apparently finds it distasteful to use swinging, cleaving weapons against humans. Well, that will be his last mistake.

A town, in festive lights. But it is completely deserted. I can take the food from the shop, along with the money. Warm up at the bar. Sleep at the inn. No one can stop me. And that is the best about this. No one dares to stop me. There are hastily scribbled notes, of monsters begging me to not kill their families. How cute. Only a kid is there, who babbles about something happening in the underground.

_ How useless to worry. I will do as I please. _

I leave the kid alone. He can become quite amusing later on. And I have a feeling he will be useful for some reason. I just decide however I please again. Outside of the town, Papyrus again. And he finally doesn’t run away any longer. It will be his last mistake, that much is for sure.

“HALT, HUMAN!”

I move forward, and this again peeves the skeleton.

“HEY, QUIT MOVING WHILE I’M TALKING TO YOU! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE SOME THINGS TO SAY.”

I will let him babble. Just for a while.

“FIRST: YOU’RE A FREAKING WEIRDO! NOT ONLY DO YOU NOT LIKE PUZZLES, BUT THE WAY YOU SHAMBLE ABOUT FROM PLACE TO PLACE… THE WAY YOUR HANDS ARE ALWAYS COVERED IN DUSTY POWDER.” 

So he had seen it. He just chose to ignore it. Up until this point. Bad call, skeleton.

“IT FEELS… LIKE YOU LIFE IS GOING DOWN A DANGEROUS PATH. HOWEVER! I, PAPYRUS, SEE GREAT POTENTIAL WITHIN YOU!”

Oh, he has no idea, that big idiot.

“EVERYONE CAN BE A GREAT PERSON IF THEY TRY!” 

_ But I don’t want to try. _

He really offers to guide me. To help me better myself. What a joke. I am good as I am. I’m perfect as I am right now. He thinks he will get a hug from me. Oh, he will.

_ And end up with a knife in his neck. _

He is sparing me. That idiot really thinks that I give any thought to what he has to say. But then again, I do look deceptively like a human child. At least deceptively enough to garner sympathy from a blubbering idiot like him. A single clean sweep would do.

His head just comes clean off. 

“W-WELL, THAT’S NOT WHAT I EXPECTED…” 

The body turns to dust, and just his stupid armor, his scarf, and his head lay there. I step closer to him, setting a foot onto his head. Delightful, but sadly over much too soon. If all monsters offer this little resistance, it will be a cakewalk right to the end.

“BUT… ST… STILL! I BELIEVE IN YOU! YOU CAN DO A LITTLE BETTER! EVEN IF YOU DON’T THINK SO! I… I PROMISE!”

_ Just die, scum. _

And finally, he is gone.


	3. Undyne the Undying

The scrunching of snow gives way to the low tapping sound of my feet hitting stone. Finally, the cold dissipates a little. Only a little, though, because soon enough, I see the water rushing down to the left and right. Huge pools of water, emanating almost the same cold as the snow back in the forest. Everything takes on a deep blue hue. A few gleaming, bright blue crystals are there, to break up the darkness.

In a small widening of the cavern system, I see that monster kid again, just brimming with energy. How amusing. He still doesn’t know what is going on. I also see the familiar sparkle of a SAVE point, next to an empty sentry station. And there is a blue flower, tall and with a familiar shape. It reminds me of Flowey, and all the buttercups I have seen.

_ Makes me wish everything just would rot away. _

The cold, damp smell is biting in my nose. It’s not really pleasant. I crouch in front of the SAVE point for a moment, to just take a breather. And to make sure that it will be irreversible in this timeline. I have killed a ton of monsters already. But still, I sense that there are plenty to finish off in the caverns. There is more than enough for me to do here.

An even bigger waterfall, one of those chests I don’t need, and wooden planks. I spend only little time on the planks, soon to realize that there is only one of those big blue flowers. But this time, it is whispering something.

Now that is interesting. I remember that. It’s an Echo Flower. But they never grew close to the palace. Asriel and I used to sneak out to see them, and to make wishes upon them. Silly. They probably will no longer whisper about him and me. But that is a good thing. I have no time for remorse or melancholy. He betrayed me when he attacked me. And I am sure that Flowey is Asriel. There is no doubt. Only Asriel, the only friend I ever believed to have had, could have just recognized me in a human shell.

A camera behind the waterfall. It goes in a smash like the previous one. Whoever is spying on me is not very good at hiding these. At least not a complete waste of time, it seems. But still, it’s annoying. Not a single monster for me to slay yet. Across the waterfall - the stream is surprisingly weak for so much water - and further into the caverns. This area is more pompous than the woods, sure, but it is also annoying.

I believe that it is gradually growing warmer. It’s definitely not as cold as out in the snowy forest. And there is a patch of tall grass up front. The light in this part is weird, too. It comes from behind, and up ahead, it’s just dark. I hope that it doesn’t become too dark to see. Else, I might just have to light something on fire.

As I move through the grass, a sudden feeling makes me stop dead in my tracks. I look up just a tad, and up there stands someone, in a big, metal armor. It looks silly on them. They watch down into the grassy patch, unmoving. Maybe it is just a suit of armor. 

Then, something next to me rustles.

Suddenly, with a loud clanging, the armored person moves forward. They stare down, and right at me.

Oddly enough, nothing happens after that. They just move backwards again, and suddenly vanish in the darkness.

Finally, I can leave the patch of grass, followed by that pesky, annoying kid, rambling about how it is so cool that Undyne looked at me, and so on and so forth. He runs off, chattering away happily, while I begin to regret my decision to not kill him right away. He is becoming more and more of a liability and an unnecessary danger.

_ I will get this brat soon enough. _

Further ahead, there is a deep stream of water. But, to my slight surprise, there are big flowers forming a bridge for me. I can spot some roots holding them in place, and traces where they were dragged to the water from the spots where more seeds are growing. So, Flowey is oddly eager to help me, it seems. That will be his undoing, of that, I will make sure.

Monsters start showing up. By this point, it is obvious that fear and anger are driving them. They still play their part so that others may escape. How idiotic. Why would they hold me back at the cost of their lives? Besides, no matter how much they run, I will be sure to find them all.

Finally, upon my return to the SAVE point, I’m sure. There are no more to be killed here - save for that Undyne. She does have fancy armor, but I doubt it will save her. Further in, behind the first flower bridge, there is a second. Again, there are roots everywhere, and traces that Flowey, for some misguided reason, thinks that he is doing himself any good with helping me. But I will not stop him. Besides, where would the fun be in that?

I also notice a couple of glowing mushrooms. They provide most of the light in the cave, and contribute to the icky smell filling it. The next cavern is a more familiar sight. The ceiling of the cave is covered in sparkling crystals, almost like a sky full of stars, and there are more Echo Flowers. But they all are ominously silent. 

Then, there are writings on the wall. I don’t take much time, but apparently, they are records of the history of the underground. It is pretty boring, and I press on. More water, and there is a swimming wooden platform waiting for me. Glorious, really. The water ahead is so dark that I can’t make out anything. It is a risk stepping onto this wooden raft and go on, but it is one I’m willing to take. Besides, with the power to return and warp the timeline however I please, it’s without risk for me.

Again with the light from behind. And there is this tingling feeling at the back of my neck. Undyne is close, I’m sure of it. As soon as I step forward far enough, a spear of pure blue magic suddenly slams into the plank before me. Ah, there she is. But out of reach. So it is a lot of running and dodging those blasted blue spears for me.

She seems angry, and she should be, for good reason. After all, I have already ended the lives of quite some monsters with my actions. But this just makes me want to go on. This anger is really delicious, almost cute in a way. I hide in the tall grass, and it just to happens that the monster kid is close by. He sees me, but before he can blather on, his gaze already fixes upon Undyne.

Her arm lashes out and grabs the monster kid. She releases him a short while after, but seems aggravated. I would be too, if I had just missed the chance to avenge my precious friends.

_ How quaint. _

After I leave the grass, I barely listen to another of those senseless rambling phases of the monster kid. He still doesn’t get it. Dashing off, he leaves me behind. Finally. Up ahead, another SAVE point. It reinvigorates me, after that nonsensical shower of spears I had to dodge. A piece of cheese, crystallized from the long time it already is sitting there on the table, is the only thing that is really odd in all of this.

Further ahead, there is a telescope, and a quiet stream of water. It is getting warmer now, I can feel it. It has stopped being so cold and damp, and now, it rather feels a little more on the stuffy side. Yet another box - this is getting ridiculous. How many of those damned things could I possibly still encounter?

The cave on the left side is empty, though a faint smell of cream is in the air. Someone was here until very recently. Back to the previous room and on. More water, more planks and some glowy grass to break up the dark cave floor. I trail off to the left side, following an unnecessarily long way. Again, Echo Flowers, but they are ominously silent as well. And in a patch of tall grass at a dead end, I find something useful. Well, that is a new one.

The main pathway takes me along a long, dark corridor, until I come to yet another cavern. There, a sole monster is still waiting for me. She is no match for me either, quickly dispersing into that useless white dust. The ballet shoes from earlier turn out to be rather effective really, allowing for quick movements. Rather nice really. Those will probably come in rather handy.

Another useless room with a piano is ignored - I have to get going. I pass a statue which is covered in dirt and slimy green stuff. It looks like a broken monster. Kind of amusing.

There’s a stand with several umbrellas, which I ignore. A stupid idea as I find out soon enough, since up ahead, there’s several waterfalls, perpetual rain, and huge puddles just waiting for me. But I have a feeling that I will dry off soon enough. The cave is getting warmer the further I travel into it, which is a good sign, I suppose. The rain coming from the roof of the cave is rather nice by now, too. Not as frosty as the waters close to the snowy forest.

The monster kid is there again. More waffling about Undyne, and then, he mentions… Dad. I stop for a moment, since the brat goes on about how cool it was to have the king come to their school. Something about Dad being nice and all… before it devolves into that oddly devoted swooning about Undyne again. Blegh.

We come to a part where the cave opens up wide. I know this place, too. The wide, wide crystal-covered ceiling looking like an endless night sky, and in the distance, there is the city and the castle. The brat stops for a moment, but I just have to go on. There is no time to lose. And besides, why should I give this Undyne more time than absolutely necessary to prepare?

The way ends after entering another part of the watery area, and a steep ledge. I step onto the monster kid to get up there, which he complains about. He then runs off, after he falls flat on his face. Good, now I’m rid of this annoying guy. Further up ahead, another SAVE point. I use it, just to make sure that, should anything unexpected happen, I wouldn’t have to endure the company of this brat again.

It was a good call. Up ahead, there is a long, winding part with many wooden pathways, but Undyne shows her ugly mug again. And this time, the floor erupts with those blue glowing spears over and over again. With the help of those ballet shoes, I’m having an easier time to dodge, but it is a narrow thing. The chase seems to go on endlessly - I have to retrace parts of the pathways because many of the wooden walkways end in dead ends, and I have no idea where the exit of this blasted area is.

After a seemingly endless chase… a dead end. Again. I turn around, and there is Undyne. She stands there for a moment, then she cleaves off the end of the walkway, and I fall. 

_ Damn. _

The landing must have knocked me out. And a familiar sight greets me. Yellow flowers, which caught my fall. Good, so that means no returning to my old SAVE file because of this stupid armored goon. Then again, this is a sign that Flowey saved me. A memory comes up. When I first fell, and cried for help, Asriel came to my rescue. He was friendly back then. Maybe, that Flowey thing still holds a bit of that soft spot for me.

_ What a stupid mistake. _

It smells like junk down here. And sure enough, the water is now filled with floating pieces, and there are piles of all sorts of junk. The water comes up to my knees, and soaks me. Luckily, it is pretty warm by now, almost uncomfortably warm. I wade on, set on getting out of this dump right away. It’s just that… a dummy gets into my way. A ghost possessing a dummy. And his rambling finally leads to him getting mad enough to become corporeal.

_ Even stupider mistake. _

He is obliterated in a single strike.

Further ahead, another SAVE point. Good. So I don’t have to take another fall. It still hurts a little, though mostly, my pride took a beating.

Further ahead, there are houses. One looks like a big fish, the other two are uninteresting and locked respectively. What a waste of time. As is the shopkeeper in a small cave, an old turtle dressed up like an archeologist. Sadly, he doesn’t feel threatened. What a cheeky bastard. But I can’t waste my time with him.

The mushrooms and the glowing grass in the next part are the only leads to where the way goes. It becomes rather confusing, and one time, I stray down an otherwise dark path, to find a small village. Temmie Village, huh. But it is just as uninteresting as the other parts of the cave. 

Finally, I find a dead end, where Undyne appears once again. Just as she finishes her cute little speech and then poises herself to just skewer me on one of her spears, the brat jumps into her way. Amusingly, Undyne clamps the monster kid and drags him off. So she doesn’t want him to get hurt, huh? That could turn out to be useful later on.

A up to that moment hidden path leads me up to a cavern full of Echo Flowers. Each of them is silent, and so, I just check out one of the inscriptions on the wall.

_ “The Angel…  _

_ The One who has seen the surface… _

_ They will return. And the underground will go empty.” _

How very ominous.

Another SAVE point. The hair on the back of my neck stands up just after I touched it. It was a good decision to do that - there is something waiting for me up ahead. The pathway is now very narrow, and makes me wonder how it is possible for those monsters to get around to anywhere in time. 

And there is the brat again. Talking big about how he will stop me this time. My patience is officially up with this monster. I lash out to attack it, but then, just in time, Undyne intervenes.

The blow crashes into her, and her armor cracks visibly. The monster kid runs to safety, and she is just standing there. Huh. Not going down in just one blow? This could become interesting.

“...heh... ‘It’s nothing’...”

And there it is. Her form is starting to waver, quite literally. She mumbles about something, but I don’t particularly care. This is far too fascinating and satisfying to watch.

“Papyrus…”

Oh, so she and that skeleton were acquainted? Adorable. 

“Alphys… ASGORE…”

Don’t know, and know too well. She could just hurry up and die already.

“Just like that, I… I’ve failed you.”

Gods, could she be any slower? Her body finally wavers, and for a moment, it seems like there is almost three ghostly images of her. But, for some godforsaken reason, she simply  _ won’t die _ .

“... No… My body… It feels like it’s splitting apart.”

What the Hell? That is not what usually happens. Her body reforms, and only her legs waver. This is definitely not what is supposed to happen!

“Like any instant… I’ll scatter into a million pieces. But… Deep, deep in my soul. There’s a burning feeling I can’t describe. A burning feeling that WON’T let me die.”

_ She has determination. _

“This isn’t just about monsters anymore, is it? If you get past me, you’ll… You’ll destroy them all, won’t you? Monsters… Humans… Everyone… Everyone’s hopes. Everyone’s dreams. Vanquished in an instant. But I WON’T let you do that.”

So, this is what I get now? A true challenge? I feel giddy now. This could be some fun and entertainment, actually. 

“Right now, everyone in the world… I can feel their hearts beating as one. And we all have ONE goal. To defeat YOU. Human. No, WHATEVER you are. For the sake of the whole world... I, UNDYNE, will strike you down!”

Her appearance shifts. I can feel the fire in her heart from a few paces away, and it sets my bloodlust ablaze. This is what I was looking for all this time. A real challenge, something I can dig my teeth into and enjoy.

“You’re gonna have to try a little harder than THAT.”

My soul turns green, and I soon enough find out that she is indeed a challenge. I can block her blows, but they come fast, almost too fast. I do almost no damage to her, a testament to the pure, fiery power of determination. This turned around really fast, and I’m not quite able to decide whether or not I like that.

Again a series of blows, and then, everything changes a little. The blows come slower, but then, my soul turns from green to red again - and the next thing I know is that the spears come right at me, and I have to weave through them. It is not all that easy. Undyne’s patterns are easy for now, but I have the sneaking suspicion that I soon will come face to face with a barrage of attacks that will make me make use of my powers.

What comes next throws me off a little. Spears slam up from the ground, and my dodging is terrible. I get hit several times, and my soul is turned green again. For a moment, a tinge of fear shudders through me, but it is a faint echo of what that emotion once was. Instead, I pull myself together and stuff my face with one of the cinnamon bunnies I have from that snow area. Well, they do come in handy now.

The next two waves come slow and much too fast respectively. Again, I need to fall back on the cinnamon bunnies. At this rate, I will be unable to deal any proper damage to her, and just get thrown off by those spears over and over again. Then, fake-out strikes that suddenly change direction, spears pulling in around me in circles, and fake-outs yet again. They finally break me down completely, and my soul shatters.

For the first time, I need to make use of my determination. Undyne has skill, but she will not keep me from reaching the castle.

The next few fights become progressively worse. Undyne’s confidence grows every time, and I can see that she is aware that it is not the first fight, even though it should be for her. The resets should erase any memories for her. But, no. She looks smug, self-assured, and just wails at me with countless spears.

It takes many frustrating tries, but finally, I beat her. I’m worn out, but it fills me with glee and satisfaction. More than ever before. This is a lot better than those weak critters just going down in one hit.

“Damn it… So even THAT power… It wasn’t enough…?”

_ As if you ever could hope to beat me. _

But still, she laughs into my face. With that big, stupid smile.

“If you think I’m gonna give up hope, you’re wrong. ‘Cause I’ve… Got my friends behind me.”

_ As if that could keep me from wrecking this world. _

“Alphys told me that she would watch me fight you. And if anything went wrong, she would… evacuate everyone. By now she’s called ASGORE and told him to absorb the 6 human SOULs.”

Something is happening to Undyne. Her body is starting to drip, not unlike a candle. There is still determination radiating from her. Is that what determination does to monsters? How very interesting.

“And with this power… This world will live on…!”

She is halfway molten before she finally dissipates into dust. It’s a lot of dust, and covers me almost completely.

_ Sure. As if Dad would have the courage to do that. _

Time to march on.


	4. Muffet and Mettaton

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hotlands is just another petty little task before the final curtain.
> 
> (Oh hey. I actually got around to finally continue this. Even though I'm hopelessly late to the party.)

WELCOME TO HOTLAND. The sign probably was a bit flashier before, but now, it’s just stuck. But it also serves as a reminder that I’m coming closer to my goal. Again, a sentry station, just as empty as the first one. A smell of condiments is hanging in the air, as well as that of hotcats. I should probably steal some of those for later on. But for now, my priority is to find a SAVE point and get an idea of how many more I have to grind to dust before the Underground goes silent.

Every time I come to a new place, I have the feeling that the presence of the monsters nearby is just choking me. I need to get rid of that pain, over and over again, before I can feel better about everything again. It always has been like that, though with Mom, Dad and Asriel around, I could tolerate it a little. I never told them. No need for them to know that I didn’t like being down here at all. It would have made Mom go on a tangent again about how worried she is for me, and about how she only wants the best for me.

It hurts less to know that she is dead than knowing what she would have said to me. It would feel so much better once this all was over. Once I could give Dad and Flowey their eternal rest, I would feel truly relieved. I’m sure of it. It must be this way.

Hotland earned its name, there is no doubt about it. It’s a nice contrast against Snowdin, but there still is too much pressure, too much ice in my chest. But that would soon be relieved again. The more dust covers me, the better I feel, and I still have plenty all over my clothes. I can’t quite make out the stripes on the pullover, because it’s just so much grayish dust. Dozens of monsters, snuffed out by my hands. It feels good. It feels so _good_.

I return briefly to Snowdin, to grab more Cinnamon Bunnies. I need them more than the monsters who no longer live here. The river… person is not fazed by my appearance, and I can’t exactly kill them off either. They are my connection to other places. It spares me running between the SAVE points. And there is also a strange aura emanating from them. An aura of absolute serenity. I can’t find any other words to describe it.

Back to Hotland. My progress is impeded by a strange, electric wall. Someone is still putting up obstacles for me. There also is a laboratory, but there is no way for me to enter it. And it is just a distraction anyway. I’m close to the city, and that means close to Dad. Close to grabbing all those souls, more power, and most importantly, finally putting an end to this miserable charade.

But since the way is blocked off, I can only go through the lab. There, I find scattered papers, the video feed of something inside the laboratory filming me… as well as an oddly humongous pack of kibbles. Something makes my skin crawl. It is similar to the sensation I got during my fight against Undyne, and shortly before she half-melted and then turned to dust. Something is fishy about this place. I better get out of it before any more annoying obstacles pop up, or I need to use my determination too often on meaningless things.

A hole in the wall? And there is… There is a robot.

“OH. THERE YOU ARE. YOU UGLY LITTLE CREATURE. YOU’VE MADE QUITE A NAME FOR YOURSELF.”

Is this what made my skin crawl so much? If the monsters created a robot capable of fighting me, I might be in trouble. Yet, something about the whole situation makes me almost gleeful. Something new. Something that wasn’t there when I was in the Underground. Something so utterly bizarre that it might even be funny, before I have to kill it anyway.

“SUCH INFAMY…! I’M IMPRESSED.”

_Well, I’m not here to entertain a brainless robot._

“OH, YES. IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR ALPHYS, SHE’S NOT HERE.”

_I think I heard that name before. So Alphys is in charge of the laboratory. Seems like a miserable creature, with all the chaos…_

“WHILE YOU WERE BUSY DOING YOUR, AHEM, THING… SHE WAS RUNNING AROUND EVACUATING PEOPLE TO SAFETY. NOW THEY’RE IN A PLACE WHERE YOU’LL NEVER GET TO THEM.”

That seems only half true. I still can feel that there are plenty of monsters nearby, and they probably all are trying to take revenge for those I killed. But well, let the robot believe whatever it wants. I don’t care much.

“DECIDING NOT TO FIGHT YOU. MY MY, SHE REALLY IS THE ONLY SMART ONE, ISN’T SHE?”

_I think I should just stop him now._

But just a single step, and he is blathering again. That robot truly is a blathering idiot.

“OH? HOW SASSY. YOU’RE JUST ITCHING TO GET YOUR HANDS ON ME, AREN’T YOU? WELL… T-O-O B-A-D! THIS WORLD NEEDS STARS MORE THAN IT NEEDS CORPSES! TOODLES!”

And just like that, he speeds off. At least I don’t have to endure his annoying, monotone voice any longer. Whoever thought of creating a robot with such a loud, booming, and monotone voice, clearly has lost their marbles. I’m pretty sure that Alphys coward created him, to distract from her. Maybe she still is somewhere, but I suppose that I should just ignore her. If a sassy robot is all she can create, then it isn’t worth my time.

The rest of the lab is not very enlightening either. Books, strange drawings, dirty clothes, and a folding bed. That’s all. And conveyor belts, everywhere. Alphys probably just is a fat blob, and needs those conveyors to get her around. Whatever. The lab’s back door leads me to a different part of Hotland, and here, finally, monsters start to arrive. And they all fall before me, invariably. Which, after the fight with Undyne, is just a plain disappointment, but satisfying enough to tide me over until the next difficult encounter.

After several vents and more conveyor belts, I find a Burnt Pan. Another weapon a human, who came to the Underground after my time, carried and lost here. I don’t understand how they could fall so easily. It is embarrassing. But this also gives me an idea. I could probably use their souls to empower myself, and that would just allow me to eradicate every last soul on this planet…

My way leads me past several openings in the wall, and only when I play around with a switch do I realize that they were supposed to be activated and trapping this part between the Hotlands and the Underground City. But since the robot blathered something about an evacuation, it is clear why they were switched off. That no one thought about reactivating them just goes to show that when in panic, the monsters become disorganized and all the easier to kill.

Eventually, after several more monsters cover me in dust, I find two tall, armored figures. Call themselves Royal Guard, apparently. And they have remained behind in hopes of Undyne catching up with them. But, there is no such hope any longer. At least, they might put up a decent fight. But I won’t hold my breath.

“Like, Undyne! We’ll avenge you!”

And just as I thought, both of them go down in a single blow. I barely have to put any effort into the fight at all. The vents after that are much more interesting. They transport me to a kitchen, or what looks like a studio. With the robot’s words at the back of my mind, I suppose that this is where the monsters got their entertainment from. Psh. Just as worthless as anyone else. And everything looks so cheap and like mere replicas of the real thing.

On the way out of the studio, a can of… well, something is standing on a sole desk. I think about taking it with me, but it turns out that it is glued to the table. I don’t bother trying to break the glue off. I can return to Snowdin any time and raid the shop for more food if I feel like it. A quick pitstop at the SAVE point, and in the background, the Core, apparently. I never had seen it up close like that. But it soon goes out of sight, and instead, there is an elevator for me to use. I wonder if there are going to be traps after this. Surely, not all of them could have been switched off and left off…?

Funny enough, none of the floors are off limits, and I select Left 3. And another vent puzzle comes into my view soon enough. So far, no more opposition rouses its ugly head. I would have smacked off that stupid head anyway, but it still is strange to think that nothing should stand in my way. It feels odd. Not right. It feels like a trap.

Soon after the elevator, a table stands in the middle of the corridor. On it are baking wares, but I skip them. The spiderwebs next to them kind of put me off the food, and it doesn’t look all that great anyway. I can smell something up ahead, and for some reason, my first thought is “Spiders”. It seems logical, and I think I remember Mom buying something from a spider baking sale. I think it might still exist. In that case, I can probably squish some spiders, and squish them good.

More damn vents, and then suddenly, the color of the ground changes. While it always was a deep red all throughout Hotlands, it now is a strange purple. The cave before me seems dark, but I suppose I have to go through it. There is no way around it, and there seems to be something in there. My instinct tells me so. And it makes my fingers itch. The itching has been worse since Undyne’s death. Who could possibly satisfy me more now?

A laughter echoes through the cave as I enter, and someone is giggling about something “she” said. My fingers grip the burnt pan, and I try to make out something. I just see little spiders, and many spiderwebs. They are covering the ground, and they are making it difficult to walk. And then, there is some gleeful snickering about tearing out legs and stomping on spiders. Well, I will gladly do that.

A spider monster appears before me, just as the spiderwebs become too dense for me to walk. She snickers about how I was unfit to be eaten, and a rotten ingredient. I can gladly show her that she is better off not laughing about me. But I suppose that the monsters never learn. They always underestimate humans. No, worse.

_They always underestimate me._

Muffet goes down in a single, brutal blow. Her dust scatters, and a single, scared spider brings a flower to where she just stood. Then, it scurries off into the darkness, and at that moment, I feel the spiderwebs grow slack on my legs. They are scared out of their minds. And they better be. Because I will still hunt down everyone and everything.

There is a poster of that annoying robot as I leave the cave. Mettaton. So that is his name. And the purple subsides to the red ground of Hotlands again. Still, no one impedes my progress. Undyne was the biggest hurdle up to this point, and it feels like an insult. There better be a better challenge than that along the way…

A piece of paper tells me of great deals in the side alley, but as I guessed, the shop is abandoned. There is some nice food for me to take, but other than that, the resort, as it is apparently called, is empty. It is so utterly boring without anything to kill… Not even the empty gun is cheering me up, but it does feel more powerful in my hand than the burnt pan.

_I need to scratch that itch soon. It’s becoming unbearable…_

There is a key, and I search out the house it belongs to. In the cave, I stumble across several diaries, and it seems to me that a ghost let Alphys build him a robot. So it is not a robot that has come to life, if I understand correctly. And if I can apply what I learned about corporeal ghosts (that they go down like little wimps), then it should be easy to crack the robot and put an end to his stupid charade.

Back to Hotlands. I have the feeling that the robot should be near this stupid resort, since it already has his name plastered all over it. I still find a monster behind the food counter, but the nervous twitching gets on my nerves. I don’t even want to kill him. It’s that bad. He should just rot then and there, and not get the relief of death. Not right now, at least.

The resort behind me, and another glimpse at the core. The SAVE point gives of a small shudder, and I just know. The ghost-robot-whatever is nearby. I can’t fend off a sneer. He shall fall just as easily as the others.

“MY MY. SO, YOU’VE FINALLY ARRIVED. AFTER OUR FIRST MEETING, I REALIZED… SOMETHING GHASTLY. YOU’RE NOT JUST A THREAT TO MONSTERS… BUT HUMANITY, AS WELL.”

_Well that didn’t take you that long after all…_

“OH MY. THAT’S AN ISSUE. YOU SEE, I CAN’T BE A STAR WITHOUT AN AUDIENCE. AND BESIDES… THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE… I WANT TO PROTECT.”

A small step forward.

“HA HA HA. EAGER, AS ALWAYS, EH? BUT DON’T TOUCH THAT DIAL. THERE’S SOMETHING YOU HAVEN’T ACCOUNTED FOR. AS ANY TRUE FAN WOULD KNOW, I WAS FIRST CREATED AS A HUMAN ERADICATION ROBOT.”

_Oh please. Does he really expect me to believe this? From his diaries, it read like he was eager to finally be able to please the masses._

“IT WAS ONLY AFTER BECOMING A START THAT I WAS GIVEN A MORE… PHOTOGENIC BODY. HOWEVER. THOSE ORIGNAL FUNCTIONS HAVE NEVER BEEN FULLY REMOVED… COME ANY CLOSER AND I’LL BE FORCED TO SHOW YOU… MY TRUE FORM!”

As if I would care about that.

“FINE THEN! RRREADY? IIIIIT’S SHOWTIME!”

Mettaton NEO appears in a blinding light before me. He sure does look flashy with that arm canon, and the bright glowing wings, but they can’t intimidate me. No. They’re all just show, and he shall fall just as easily. With an almost bored swing, I smash that puny robot to bits.

The last SAVE point of Hotlands. And beyond that lies the city.

I’m home.


	5. Sans, Asgore... and Asriel

The city looks completely gray and empty. I kind of like the color even better than what I remember from my first time. It reminds me of all the useless monsters I dispatched of, and again, I can feel it itching. It has become so easy. There is no stopping me. There is nothing that can possibly interfere any longer. Probably that annoying skeleton, but I haven’t seen him since the encounter in the woods after the Ruins. This is worrying me a little. He was gone so fast, that couldn’t have been a normal monster.

And there is my house. The old house, but empty and devoid of positive memories now. I go in, look around. Just as I remember it. But without anything useless readily apparent. That is annoying.

“Howdy, Chara!”

_THE GODDAMN FLOWER AGAIN._

It just popped out of the ground, grinning at me and looking kind of… expectant? I know that face from somewhere. But it won’t come to me. I’m too much on edge to care for it really. But what he says next just seals it.

He talks about if I remember how we played here. How he is glad that I made it home.

_You traitor._

The kitchen offers nothing of interest, except maybe for a key. But no knives…

Flowey again. He remembers something about a garden? About being turned into a flower, and how scared he was. Why should I care? He has betrayed me. The one person I still care for. He tried to kill me on our first meeting. He didn’t recognize me.

In our room, there is the heart-shaped locket. I take it. Now it is right where it belongs. With a soft beating against my chest. Alive and warm. And then, there is another present. Finally. A proper knife. This will prove to be useful. It is sharp and ready to slice into monsters.

Flowey blathers on. About how Dad found him in the garden, but Flowey didn’t feel anything. Oh, I would not want to trade places with him. It would be dreadfully boring without emotions. A short glimpse into Dad’s room, but he isn’t there, of course. He must be in the throne room, then.

And still he blathers on. Towards the cellar, he tells me that he didn’t feel anything for Mom when he found her, and that… Wait. He has determination too? After he tried to kill himself? And then, apparently, his thirst for killing was awakened. He figured out the whole deal with the SAVE points. With resetting. With everything about the Underground. Determination like this should only be my weapon.

I try to ignore his blathering while I head on through the underground tunnel. Why does he have to talk so much? Why does he have to bother me still?

“I’ve done everything this world has to offer.”

Oh, now that catches my attention. He seems to have little holding him in this world any longer. So, I’m still different. He didn’t recognize me, he admits to it. He admits to having planned to kill me. But apparently my determination outweighs his, and that is the reason why I still have control here.

“She must have taken you when she left.”

That makes me stop dead in my tracks. Mom tried to give me a proper burial? Flowey was calling out to me? No… not Flowey. Asriel. Asriel betrayed me. The one person who matters so much to me. He is blathering about how we should let everyone see what humanity is really like. And he wants to use that power in several ways. Psh. I’m not interested any longer. He is worthless for me. And he is also talking about the souls. Why is he bothering me with all of this?

“You’re still the only one who understand me. You won’t give me any worthless pity!”

Oh no, I wouldn’t give him any worthless pity. And he finally understands.

“…what’s this… feeling? Why am I… shaking?”

_I will kill you, Asriel. I will kill you. I WILL KILL YOU._

He changed his mind, has he now. And I should go back? Oh no, I will never go back. I have enough determination to overcome everything. I will not be talked out of it by a mere flower. But before I can do much more, he flees.

And then, in the hallway… Sans. That annoying skeleton.

“do you wanna have a bad time? ‘cause if you take another step forward… you are REALLY not going to like what happens next.”

What is it with everyone and their steps?

“welp. sorry, old lady. this is why i never make promises.”

_Time to get rid of you._

He stands there, all relaxed.

“it’s a beautiful day outside. birds are singing, flowers are blooming… on days like these, kids like you… Should be burning in hell.”

What comes next throws me off guard big time. I might have used a SAVE point just before, but that couldn’t have prepared me for the first attack of the skeleton. Waves of bones fly at me, and before I can gather my wits, there are big skeletal heads which lock me in a fire of beams. And that is already enough to break through my strength in no time.

_How did he do that?_

“heya. you look frustrated about something. guess i'm pretty good at my job, huh?”

The second time around, it is not any easier. The speed at which the attacks come is tremendous. For being such a lazy and relaxed skeleton, he sure does pack a punch. But he seems so flimsy. So weak. So… killable.

“huh. always wondered why people never use their strongest attack first.”

I barely stand, even though the second time around I was able to dodge a part of the attack. To recuperate, I have to fall back on the food I stole from Snowdin, but I don’t know how long it will tide me over, if this is going to continue like this. If he really just throws his most powerful attacks at me, then I’m in for a rough ride. But it is a challenge I want to see through, because it is interesting. It makes my skin itch with excitement.

The second attack already finishes me off. The Cinnamon Bunny couldn’t heal me nearly enough to withstand the barrage of bones. This annoys me, but there is no way around it. I have to defeat that skeleton, and if it takes me a hundred tries.

The next time, I get further, but I already know that Sans is quite aware of the times I die, and of how much I struggle against him. He doesn’t act the same twice in a row, and fires off his attacks before he finishes his little bit about birds and flowers. I’m getting really annoyed, but again, a wave of attacks later, I’m back where I started, at the SAVE point in the Hall of Judgement. This is really getting me pumped up. But I should be careful. If I get too annoyed too fast, then it will only be a frustrating ride from here on out.

After a frustrating ride on the strange platform and bone mixture, I try to hit him. But even though he is one of the supposedly weakest monsters of the underground, he still dodges my attack and gives me a broad grin. He wouldn’t take this standing there and just not moving, apparently. Like many other monsters foolishly had. He knows my true nature.

That is followed up by rays and platforms… and again, I fail.

I fail at the same spot again, which aggravates me doubly. This is just incredibly frustrating.

I need to go back a bit, and then I return with some new food. This is ridiculous. I shouldn’t be given this much trouble with a single monster. But again, it is a very satisfying challenge. It frustrates and yet pushes me to new heights. This is just what I needed after all of this.

The Instant Noodles are quite nice, but I can’t be bothered to prepare them. Just scarfing them down. There is no time in this fight for anything else.

This time, I get further, and I begin to understand. Sans was aware of the timeline resetting, about how the anomaly moved along. The anomaly that is my determination. I am rather pleased to hear about this, though. Creating such a ripple in spacetime ins rather nice to know. And now he is trying to talk me into giving it up? Sheesh. What does he take me for?

Another failure. This makes it 6 times. Already more than Undyne.

It takes a lot of patience to get further. But eventually, I hear him talking about how it is hard to give it his all with everything resetting without warning. This aggravates me. Lazy bastard. He is mocking me even with being lazy. This is unacceptable. But he also admits to not being able to not care any longer. Which gives me a sign that this should be moving closer to completion, but with the mistakes I keep making out of anger, I put a serious dent into my healing items. In other words, I’ve run out.

But he would spare me now? Now? He is such a pathetic dunce…

The last attack, though, comes with such ferocity, that it just obliterates me.

Well now, let’s start attempt 8. I need to start memorizing the attack pattern. If I want to have any chance at this, then I need to get serious.

Attempt 9. And more to come…

It goes very far this time. He’s looking exhausted again. Maybe, I can do it this time. But I don’t know if this is going well. And another healing item.

Now, he is cheating. He is trying to keep me from attacking at all. But he won’t be successful with this one. And he was hoping to be friends? Psh. Pathetic. He hoped that he could stop me with friends, laughter, bad jokes, and good food… What is he even trying to achieve?

Attempt over attempt. I am beginning to memorize it all, but it still doesn’t make this any easier. I’m still so aggravated. But he finally begins to understand that I won’t quit. That I never will be happy unless I have destroyed everything. I just need to get rid of everything.

“let’s just get to the point.”

He is that far already, but I don’t need to hear this any longer. I need to become calm and just dodge enough attacks to be able to have a chance at attacking him. After all, every attempt will make it easier for me to memorize everything, and finally find an opening in his attempts to bring me down.

With every attempt, I get further without taking as much damage as before.

“someday, you gotta learn how to QUIT.”

No. Never. I will keep consuming timelines, over and over, no matter how much it will take to kill you.

I see his last attack. And I have no chance to survive it. God. Dammit. But what does another timeline consumed mean to me any longer?

And then he announces that he will use one last special attack. I’m at only a fraction of my health, and I’m exhausted after all these attempts. But I can’t give up.

“yep. that's right. it's literally nothing.”

_You little bastard. You really think you can stop me with that trick?_

“and it’s not gonna be anything, either. heh heh heh… ya get it? i know i can’t beat you. one of your turns… you’re just gonna kill me. so, uh, i’ve decided… it’s not gonna BE your turn. ever. i’m just gonna keep having MY turn until you give up. even if it means we have to stand here until the end of time. capiche?”

Oh, I understand alright. But two can play this game. If Sans could break the rules of fighting, then so could I.

He blathers on some more, but then, he eventually falls asleep standing. I wait for a while, but he doesn’t seem to wake up again. Cautiously, my SOUL moves across. He doesn’t wake up. He doesn’t realize that his little plan of not giving me my turn would only backfire on him.

_DIE._

Sans is shocked. He is bleeding. He looks beaten, but apparently, he still has enough willpower to hold on to life for a couple more moments.

“…so… guess that’s it, huh? just… don’t say i didn’t warn you.”

He gets on his feet.

“welp. i’m going to grillby’s.”

And off he walks. Slowly. Beginning to crumble.

“papyrus, do you want anything?”

And finally, he is turned to dust.

Beyond the hall, another corridor. I go down some stairs, and find the coffins. Six are filled, and the seventh… well. It is about as comfortable as it looks, being made from stone and just incredibly suffocating.

There. The throne room. One last SAVE point. And there he is. Dad. Asgore. The king of the Underground.

He mumbles something about never having seen a flower cry before, then he turns towards me. He isn’t surprised, but… his next words make me snicker inwardly.

“Erm… What kind of monster are you…? Sorry, I cannot tell. Well, we can always-”

Just as gullible as ever.

“Now, now. There’s no need to fight. Why not settle this… over an ice cup of tea?”

_Spare me your worthless blathering._

The knife runs through him beautifully. And as he is on his knees, flower petals appear, and destroy his body and then his quivering soul.

Flowey again. He’s begging for mercy from me. He claims it was all a trick to prove how loyal he is to me, but I’m long beyond this moment. This is just all a big charade, and he should be well aware of that. As he so helpfully pointed out, beings like us have no use for mercy. And I sure won’t forgive anyone who betrayed me like that.

Several strikes, and his stupid flower face is finally gone. And after that, there’s only me. The world grows darker with every time I kill after that.

 

_Beautiful. True peace. Finally…_


End file.
